Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 2 July 1999

Scottish Executive

Devolution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement about future arrangements for joint working with Her Majesty’s Government.

Donald Dewar: I expect to receive soon from the UK Government drafts of a memorandum of understanding and certain supporting concordats. These documents, which will be administrative rather than statutory agreements, are intended to set out the ground rules which will govern the working relationships between the devolved administrations and the UK Government.

  I will consider these drafts with my colleagues. Once we have agreed their contents with the UK Government and, where necessary, the other devolved administrations, we will present them to the Scottish Parliament for its endorsement before they come into effect.

Economy

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to invite the Scottish film industry to propose measures which the Executive may implement to help the industry to develop and prosper.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish film industry will be able to put forward proposals during our consultations on the national cultural strategy.

Education

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote participation in sport in primary schools.

Rhona Brankin: Lottery funding of £2.1m over 3 years has been earmarked to make the TOP Play TOP Sport programmes available to all primary schools. This package can be used to enhance existing sports and physical activity programmes.

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the criteria under which proposed rural school closures are referred to Scottish Ministers.

Peter Peacock: We have no such plans.

Education

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the number of students enrolled at further education colleges in Scotland in 1997-98.

Henry McLeish: There were 411,408 student enrolments on courses in Scotland’s further education colleges in 1997-98. For the future, the Government has promised funding for an additional 40,000 places in FE colleges over the next 3 years.

Education

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the continuing professional development of teachers in Scottish schools.

Peter Peacock: Ministers are committed to supporting teachers through a structured programme of continuing professional development. CPD is a key means of raising standards in schools. We shall announce our proposals shortly.

Education

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote information technology in schools.

Mr Sam Galbraith: £100 million for IT resources has been allocated over the next 3 years, supported by £23 million for training from the New Opportunities Fund. We will announce details soon of a scheme to help teachers buy computers.

Employment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland of the proposed greenhouse gas emission tax.

Henry McLeish: The UK Government is considering responses to consultation on the proposed Climate Change Levy, which is a reserved matter. They are also holding discussions with energy intensive sectors, including the paper industry, on possible agreements to give rebates of the levy for energy efficiency measures. I will consider carefully any potential impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland following the outcome of these two processes.

Fisheries

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide details of the reduction in crew hours per annum required of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency now that 6,000 square miles of previously SFPA patrolled seas have fallen under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Royal Navy, which patrols English waters, and what effect, if any, that reduction will have on employment of SFPA crews.

Mr John Home Robertson: The area in question represents a very small proportion of the total area patrolled by vessels of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Neither is it an area of prolific fishing activity. Consequently it does not require a substantial surveillance effort from the Agency. It therefore follows that a change in the enforcement arrangements for this area will not be reflected in the level of resources of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish details of the proportion of NHS new building costs which are being drawn from NHS Trust Revenue Budgets.

Susan Deacon: New buildings in the NHS in Scotland are funded from public or private sector capital, not revenue budgets. The business cases published for capital projects detail the impact of these projects on Trust revenue budgets.

Health

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to consider the widespread demand for a review of accident and emergency services in the Edinburgh area before the accident and emergency unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh moves to Little France, more than doubling the distance from north and west Edinburgh and Leith.

Susan Deacon: The configuration of accident and emergency services in Edinburgh is a matter for Lothian Health Board. Ministers have received reassurances that the provision is appropriate. Accessibility of accident and emergency services will be an ongoing priority for Lothian Health Board.

Health

Ms Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on its assessment of the performance of the NHS in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to providing a modern, high quality, efficient health service. We will report regularly on our achievements.

Local Government

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any local authority is likely to be capped this year.

Mr Jack McConnell: No. Local authorities were issued with indicative expenditure guidelines this year. Most authorities have exercised their own discretion sensibly. Eight authorities have set budgets in excess of the guidelines, but in the case of five authorities only by a small amount. The other three authorities – Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire and Perth and Kinross – have made larger increases. I met these councils with the Secretary of State for Scotland to discuss why they have made such large increases. The Secretary of State subsequently announced in the House of Commons that the authorities would not be capped, but at the meeting we did put them on warning that we will expect them to return to guideline next year. I have also asked each council to submit to me an action plan detailing what measures they intend to take to ensure that they do return to guideline next year, and they agreed to do so before the end of July.

Ministerial Staff

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Special Advisers it intends to employ, what is the estimated annual cost of employing Special Advisers, who is appointing Special Advisers and, what are the guidelines on the pay of Special Advisers.

Donald Dewar: I announced on 20 May 1999 the appointment with effect from 17 May of a Principal Special Adviser and a Spokesman. These are personal appointments, accountable to me and were made under the authority of the April 1999 Civil Service Order in Council. I have today announced a number of further Special Adviser appointments in the Policy Unit in answer to a question from Mr Andrew Wilson. I expect to make further Special Adviser appointments in due course. Until numbers are final, it is not possible to specify the estimated annual cost.

  I will also announce shortly the arrangements which I have put in place regarding Special Advisers’ pay in Scotland.

Ministerial Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) to list the staff of the Executive Policy Unit, and the job titles, role and payscales of each member of staff and (b) to specify the line manager, contract length and office location of each member of staff.

Donald Dewar: The staff so far appointed in the Policy Unit, with job title, line manager, contract length and office location, are as follows:

  

Name
Job 
Title
Line 
Manager
Contract 
length


Brian 
Fitzpatrick
Head
First 
Minister
See 
Note 1


Philip 
Rycroft
Deputy 
Head
Head of 
Executive Secretariat
Indefinite


Kenneth 
Hogg
Project 
Leader
Philip 
Rycroft
Indefinite


Joanna 
Young
Project 
Leader
Philip 
Rycroft
Indefinite


Duncan 
McLennan
Special 
Adviser
Brian Fitzpatrick
Seconded 
for initialperiod of 2 years


John McLaren
Special 
Adviser
Brian Fitzpatrick
See Note 
1


Chris Winslow
Special 
Adviser
Brian Fitzpatrick
See Note 
1


Jan Anderton
Executive 
Assistant
Philip 
Rycroft
Indefinite



  Note 1: These Special Adviser appointments are held until the end of the Scottish Cabinet; or when the First Minister ceases to be a member of the Scottish Cabinet; or in the event of a General Election to the Scottish Parliament on the day after Polling Day.

  The Policy Unit is based in St Andrew’s House. All its members will be engaged in developing the strategic capacity of the Executive and working up new policies. Those who are Special Advisers in addition give political advice to Ministers.

  I expect to make further Special Adviser appointments in due course. I will announce shortly the arrangements which I have put in place regarding Special Advisers’ pay in Scotland.

Ministerial Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many staff are employed in ministerial or junior ministerial private offices as policy advisers and related direct support staff and (b) what are the payscales in which each of these staff are placed.

Donald Dewar: I refer Mr Wilson to the answers I gave to Mr Gorrie on 24 June (S1W-4, 5 and 8). Individual salaries are not revealed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. I will announce shortly the arrangements which I have put in place regarding Special Advisers’ pay in Scotland.

People with Disabilities

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to improve services for people with a learning disability.

Iain Gray: A major review of social and health care services for people with a learning disability is underway. It will report in December.

Rural Affairs

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to give an official welcome to the Crofters Commission’s continuing investigation into absentee crofting.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive welcomes the way in which the Crofters Commission has carried out its absentee initiative and the progress achieved.

Social Inclusion

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to extend social inclusion provision in West Dumbartonshire, given that this area has the highest claimant count unemployment in Scotland and the lowest percentage of VAT registered businesses in the UK.

Jackie Baillie: We are already supporting a Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) in West Dunbartonshire with core funding of more than £6m over 3 years. West Dunbartonshire is also benefiting from the wide range of national Government programmes to promote social inclusion, such as the New Deal and New Community Schools.

Social Inclusion

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the impact of Social Inclusion Partnerships.

Jackie Baillie: We shall be monitoring the progress of Social Inclusion Partnerships against the targets and indicators set for each partnership.